Atlanta's Iconic Tavern Watches Senate Debate as US Midterms Near
At Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta, a venue that has hosted Democratic figures for six decades, patrons watched the second Senate debate between Georgia's Jon Ossoff and Republican Mike Collins ahead of the November 3 US midterms. The bar reflects the state's political past and shifts.
At Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta, Georgia, a venue that has hosted Democratic politicians for six decades, patrons gathered around television screens on October 13 for the second and final debate between US Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Mike Collins. The contest comes before the November 3 US midterm elections and matters because Ossoff is the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state that President Donald Trump won in 2024.
Collins was sharper than in the first debate, where his performance was weak. Opening the session, he called the race one between Georgia and Georgetown, a jab at Ossoff's widely reported but never confirmed presidential ambitions. Ossoff, 39, vowed to keep his opponent on the defensive and to ask the questions he had refused to answer earlier. He again denied presidential aspirations, though analysts do not rule out a future run, as Democrats hope to regain the White House in 2028.
The crowd, largely Democratic, watched calmly. Ossoff leads in the polls. Caleb Scott, a policy writer, judged Ossoff the winner and singled out his remarks on artificial intelligence and data centres.
The Carter legacy
The tavern opened in 1956 in eastern Atlanta, and its walls are lined with photographs and memorabilia, many tied to Jimmy Carter, the Georgian who became the 39th US president and died on December 29, 2024, aged 100. Carter launched his 1970 gubernatorial campaign there and was a friend of founder Manuel Maloof. Pictures of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry and Barack Obama also hang there.
An immigrant family's story
The Maloof family came from the Qadisha Valley in northern Lebanon. Owner Brian Maloof's grandfather, Gibran, moved to the US around the end of World War I, delivered mining supplies by oxcart and later ran a billiard parlour in Atlanta. His son Manuel, after serving in World War II, modelled the tavern on British pubs and later held elected offices in DeKalb County. He died in 2004.
